What did we do with the money we saved by not signing him for what he wanted?

Does Hampton have the last card to play - if we don't coddle him, will he threaten to pull a Faneca in the locker room?

What is the value of not having a cancer in the locker room? I guess it depends on who's available to pick up the slack if he's not there ...

RuthlessBurgher

01-30-2010, 02:52 PM

We didn't sign Faneca to a big money deal, but since then, we extended the deals of Ben, Harrison, Heath, Max, Keisel, and others and are right up against the cap ceiling. If Alan were still here, which of those guys would not be?

BURGH86STEEL

01-30-2010, 03:34 PM

We didn't sign Faneca to a big money deal, but since then, we extended the deals of Ben, Harrison, Heath, Max, Keisel, and others and are right up against the cap ceiling. If Alan were still here, which of those guys would not be?

I don't think there is anyway they resign Harrison and Starks if they resigned Faneca. They probably keep 2 out of 3. I doubt Kemo would be around if they resigned Faneca. I think Heath would had gotten his deal done with or without Faneca. Not sure about Keisel. I think Steelers made the right choice.

I am not sure I would had given Harrison the kind of money they gave him.

RuthlessBurgher

01-30-2010, 04:00 PM

Compare the deal that Harrison signed last April with the one Terrell Suggs signed 3 months later.

Harrison signed a six-year, $51.175 million contract with $20 million guaranteed, including a $10 million signing bonus.

Suggs signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract with $38.1 million guaranteed, including a $10.1 million signing bonus and Suggs' full first-year salary.

After signing his contract, Harrison, in what appeared to be a down year for him after winning the NFL defensive MVP last year, had 79 tackles (60 solo), 10 sacks, 2 passes defensed, and 5 forced fumbles. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a Pro Bowl berth as a starter for the second season in a row.

After signing his contract, Suggs, had 59 tackles (44 solo), 4.5 sacks, 5 passes defensed, and 1 forced fumble. Suggs was not voted to the Pro Bowl this year after making it as an reserve OLB last season.

Although Harrison is 31 and Suggs is only 27, they both have 7 seasons in the league and Suggs's body has 6 year's worth of wear-and-tear as a starter, while Harrison has only been a starter for 3 seasons.

I'm still happier with the Harrison deal than with the Suggs deal.

PSU_dropout43

01-30-2010, 04:05 PM

I am not sure I would had given Harrison the kind of money they gave him.

LOL.

you're a joke. :loser

hawaiiansteel

01-30-2010, 04:12 PM

Faneca signed a 5 year/$40 million contract with the Jets,

Kemo signed a 5 year/$20 million contract with the Steelers.

That's a $4 million/year difference over the next 5 years assuming Kemo would not have been re-signed had we kept Faneca.

In hindsight, was it worth losing one of the greatest OL the Steelers have ever had for that $4 million/year difference?

RuthlessBurgher

01-30-2010, 04:38 PM

Faneca signed a 5 year/$40 million contract with the Jets,

Kemo signed a 5 year/$20 million contract with the Steelers.

That's a $4 million/year difference over the next 5 years assuming Kemo would not have been re-signed had we kept Faneca.

In hindsight, was it worth losing one of the greatest OL the Steelers have ever had for that $4 million/year difference?

Considering that Faneca's game should decline with age over the course of those 5 years and Kemoeatu's game should improve with experience over the course or those 5 years, yes, it was the correct decision. That extra $4 million on the cap may have prevented them from being able to sign, say, Max Starks or Heath Miller to a long term deal. Faneca was great during his 10 years here. But that kind of coin was not worth it for a guy in years 11-15.

SanAntonioSteelerFan

01-30-2010, 04:52 PM

Faneca signed a 5 year/$40 million contract with the Jets,

Kemo signed a 5 year/$20 million contract with the Steelers.

That's a $4 million/year difference over the next 5 years assuming Kemo would not have been re-signed had we kept Faneca.

In hindsight, was it worth losing one of the greatest OL the Steelers have ever had for that $4 million/year difference?

Considering that Faneca's game should decline with age over the course of those 5 years and Kemoeatu's game should improve with experience over the course or those 5 years, yes, it was the correct decision. That extra $4 million on the cap may have prevented them from being able to sign, say, Max Starks or Heath Miller to a long term deal. Faneca was great during his 10 years here. But that kind of coin was not worth it for a guy in years 11-15.

Hey Ruth or anyone else who knows, if Faneca gets injured/cut in year 12, does the money go back to the club to spend on other players?

hawaiiansteel

01-30-2010, 04:55 PM

Faneca signed a 5 year/$40 million contract with the Jets,

Kemo signed a 5 year/$20 million contract with the Steelers.

That's a $4 million/year difference over the next 5 years assuming Kemo would not have been re-signed had we kept Faneca.

In hindsight, was it worth losing one of the greatest OL the Steelers have ever had for that $4 million/year difference?

Considering that Faneca's game should decline with age over the course of those 5 years and Kemoeatu's game should improve with experience over the course or those 5 years, yes, it was the correct decision. That extra $4 million on the cap may have prevented them from being able to sign, say, Max Starks or Heath Miller to a long term deal. Faneca was great during his 10 years here. But that kind of coin was not worth it for a guy in years 11-15.

I understand what you're saying, it's just that Faneca was one of my favorite players for many years and I would have loved to see him retire as a Steeler....unfortunately, it's just the nature of the business nowadays.

It would make it easier for me to get over Faneca's departure if Kemo's play were to improve, so far he's been injury-prone and he seems lost on who his man is on blitzes.
Hopefully the new OL coach can help him with that.

Shoe

01-30-2010, 05:14 PM

?? ...

Faneca went on to show he still had it in the tank.

You know... people get the wrong impression of this situation (i.e. the 3rd contract for a player).

It's not that the team necessarily thinks the guy has nothing left. In the last three prominent situations I can recall (Hampton, Faneca, Peezy) all came off good seasons. It's the fact of the team NOT tying up premiere money on a presumably diminishing quantity. (Remember, you can diminish, yet remain an important player.)

Peezy and Faneca have played well for their 2nd team. I think Hampton will too. That's not the issue--the team isn't not re-signing him cuz they think they are toast. It's a long-term business philosophy that clearly works.

It was the right move.

feltdizz

01-30-2010, 05:36 PM

?? ...

Faneca went on to show he still had it in the tank.

You know... people get the wrong impression of this situation (i.e. the 3rd contract for a player).

It's not that the team necessarily thinks the guy has nothing left. In the last three prominent situations I can recall (Hampton, Faneca, Peezy) all came off good seasons. It's the fact of the team NOT tying up premiere money on a presumably diminishing quantity. (Remember, you can diminish, yet remain an important player.)

Peezy and Faneca have played well for their 2nd team. I think Hampton will too. That's not the issue--the team isn't not re-signing him cuz they think they are toast. It's a long-term business philosophy that clearly works.

It was the right move.

also think about the teams they go to..

do they stand out if they go to teams with our talent level or do we say they are under performing since we have more guys making plays? Usually..

RuthlessBurgher

01-31-2010, 02:30 PM

Faneca is due a $7.5 million roster bonus on February 12th. It's possible that the Jets may end up releasing him in the next two weeks. Then the Steelers could sign him to a reasonable short term deal to come back to Pittsburgh. He could play LG again, with Kemoeatu moving over to RG.

:stirpot

SanAntonioSteelerFan

01-31-2010, 02:59 PM

Faneca is due a $7.5 million roster bonus on February 12th. It's possible that the Jets may end up releasing him in the next two weeks. Then the Steelers could sign him to a reasonable short term deal to come back to Pittsburgh. He could play LG again, with Kemoeatu moving over to RG.

:stirpot

I know there is a certain amount of :stirpot , even :moon , to your comment Ruth, but do you think there is any chance at all that this could happen? How much I wonder are the Steelers prepared to spend on the OL? And if Faneca is on the streets, would that be enough for him, and could bygones be bygones?

I think he'd have some locker room 'splainin' to do before he would be accepted, but maybe that's just too old school, business being everything I suppose ...

steeler_fan_in_t.o.

02-01-2010, 05:02 PM

Hey Ruth or anyone else who knows, if Faneca gets injured/cut in year 12, does the money go back to the club to spend on other players?

If he gets injured/cut/traded/retired at any time during the life of the contract then his remaining salary comes off the cap. However, you still pro rate the remainder of his signing bonus and must either claim it all in that year (if before June 1) or claim one years worth that year and the remainder the following year (if after June 1).

That is the dead money which is sometimes referred to on a team's cap.

ikestops85

02-01-2010, 05:11 PM

Faneca is due a $7.5 million roster bonus on February 12th. It's possible that the Jets may end up releasing him in the next two weeks. Then the Steelers could sign him to a reasonable short term deal to come back to Pittsburgh. He could play LG again, with Kemoeatu moving over to RG.

:stirpot

I think it would be a little awkward with Willie Colon who I believe had some harsh words about Faneca after he left.

SanAntonioSteelerFan

02-01-2010, 05:16 PM

^^^

Thanks for the info, TOfan. So, if I understand it right, when the club inks a long term contract, they can count on either paying the money out, or if the player leaves the team sooner, keeping the money but not being able to use it to improve the team. Is that right?

Ikestops85 - Colon, and others maybe? Did Ben have some words in the end?

BURGH86STEEL

02-01-2010, 05:25 PM

I am not sure I would had given Harrison the kind of money they gave him.

LOL.

you're a joke. :loser

Yeah I am a joke and loser because I don't think I would had given a 30 year old player 51 million dollars.

stlrz d

02-02-2010, 12:11 AM

I am not sure I would had given Harrison the kind of money they gave him.

LOL.

you're a joke. :loser

Yeah I am a joke and loser because I don't think I would had given a 30 year old player 51 million dollars.

Harrison's not just any 30 year old player.

Lots of people thought Demarcus Ware should have beat him out for DPOTY. Ware actually had a bigger drop off this year than Harrison -if you call 10 sacks a drop off for Harrison- and he's 27.

NorthCoast

02-03-2010, 10:21 PM

The money issue aside, Faneca had mentally 'checked out' from the Steelers before he left. As I recall, he really expressed his disagreement with the blocking and offensive direction the team was taking. Even pissed off a few players with his poor attitude in team meetings. That's not the kind of player I want resigned for any amount of money.

Hampton seems genuinely interested in staying with the team....for the right price. As much as it would hurt, I am leaning more and more to letting him find his big pay-day elsewhere. The Steelers have been generally very good at sensing when to let a player move on without significantly damaging the position he vacates.